


You Can Do Better

by DemonSquipster



Series: The one British thing [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Flogging, I'm Bad At Summaries, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jealousy, M/M, No not the awful dance move, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Post-Relationship, Pre-Canon, Pre-Season/Series 12, What Have I Done, Whipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 14:42:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14875712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonSquipster/pseuds/DemonSquipster
Summary: Hess calls Toni in on her day off to provide a very important flogging to someone she cares about.Toni, however, is deeply troubled by this.





	You Can Do Better

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aricaar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aricaar/gifts).



> When one has no internet, the best solution is to write.

Toni stared at Hess, trying to keep her expression blank as they walked. She was utterly confused on why the older woman had called her here. There had been plenty of workers that they passed on the way to whichever room Hess was bringing her to. (Toni had noticed that Hess had a whip in her hand - she understood what she was doing, just not why.) Toni had been all the way at home - this was her day off, and Hess must have known that when she called. Hess held out her hand, and Toni glanced down at it. She took it without question, and looked back up at Hess’s knowing smile.

 

“Right through this door, Lady Bevell.” Toni responded with a small nod, before opening the metal door that Hess had gestured to.

 

She didn’t understand at first when she glanced inside. Toni saw the cowering man with the exposed back and dark hair, but nothing cued her in to the identity of the man curled up until she got a good look at the back.

 

It was Arthur Ketch.

 

She couldn’t help but bite back a disgusted shudder as she realized what Hess wanted her to do. She understood who he was by the familiar scars criss-crossing across her back - she hadn’t truly gotten a good look at them since they were children, when Ketch showed her the injuries that night by the river out by her childhood house - and she wanted to bring him away from this before she was forced to place any more there.

 

He hadn’t been harmed yet, it seemed. There were no visible bruises or contusions from the angle she stood at. She heard Hess shut the door and walk off to the side to observe the two of them. She knew why she was here now. Hess wanted her to flog Ketch to prove she didn’t have any feelings for him whatsoever. Even if she did, completing this to Hess’s satisfaction would demolish the relationship they had together.

 

Why her? If anything, Mick was closer to him.

 

Mick was better at hiding it.

 

She uncurled the whip as she watched Ketch’s shoulders move up and down steadily. Toni really didn’t want to do this, but any hesitation would give her away. She had to do this, or she would be killed. It was her or Ketch in this situation, and as much as she loved Ketch, she had to put herself first. She wouldn’t be doing that if he’d only chosen her over Mick.

 

Letting out a small breath, she pulled her arm back and brought the leather down across Ketch’s back harder than she meant to. His groan and cry of pain almost made her drop it. Almost. As far as she knew, she had kept a steady face, and she avoided the urge to look at Hess’s face. Her own eyes were fixated on his already reddening back.

 

No blood had been drawn yet, and that wasn’t nearly good enough for Hess. She confirmed Toni’s suspicious with her remark. “You can do better than that, Lady Bevell.”

 

She forced a cruel smile, and struggled internally to make it seem natural. “Yes, of course.” Her voice came out smooth and cold; exactly what she needed.

 

Toni couldn’t see Ketch’s expression, but she could see how tense he was. He didn’t want to be hit again. Internally she apologized as she pulled back her arm again and hit harder than before. He squirmed around while letting out groans of pain. She noticed that the chains around his wrists were bloodied. The metal must have cut into his arms as he tried and failed to get out of them.

 

What had he done to deserve this? The British Men of Letters didn’t always need a reason to put someone through something like this, but she knew Hess would have never allowed this if he hadn’t done something first. If anything, it would have been him standing here while she cowered in pain.

 

Did Mick know? Was Mick aware of what was happening to Ketch? He’d have her killed if he found out it was her. He’d make up some lie and ensure that it would be the cause of her demise, and that’s not what she wanted. It’s not as if she wanted to do this. Mick had to understand that. Would Ketch give her up, or did he still trust her enough to keep it quiet? If she was in his position, she would give herself up; she wouldn’t blame Ketch if he did. Mick was sure to find out about Ketch’s injuries, yet... it bothered her, being unsure of what Ketch’s response will be. 

 

Hess would ensure that Ketch be cleaned up and taken care of well after this was over. She wouldn’t do that for many other operatives here. Ketch was.. special to her. Toni could tell that Hess regarded him as her son, in some kind of twisted way. For her to stand aside and watch him be beaten was horrid. No wonder she had no actual children of her own. The only reason she actually might have thought of him that way was because of his family’s connection with her. Toni didn’t know what exactly it was, and she didn’t care to know.

 

She brought the whip down across his back again, and again. Three times before she stopped for a small break to let Ketch recollect. There was blood dripping slowly down his back now - Hess would step in any moment now, Toni figured. She couldn’t handle seeing her favourite operative being hurt like this, could she?

 

She watched the whip tear open one more wound on his back - deeper than the previous ones - before Hess stepped in. “That’ll be enough, Lady Bevell.” Toni met Hess’s eyes and raised an eyebrow - a daring move, considering Hess could have Toni killed with the snap of her fingers. “Are you letting your opinions about Mister Ketch cloud your judgement, Doctor?” Toni caught Hess’s defensive glare, and held back a smile. “I said, that’s enough. You may be excused.” Toni dropped the whip on the floor - Ketch’s flinch did not go unnoticed - and she turned and walked out of the room. She couldn’t handle being in that room with the two of them anymore.


End file.
